After an illness of several months, Alderman Albert W. Beilfuss passed away today at his residence, 2258 West Walton Street (formerly Cornelia Street) at the age of sixty years.

Although it was widely known that his health was not very good, and the news of his death will greatly surprise his many friends. He is mourned by his wife, one son and four daughters.

Beilfuss, who was one of the most prominent and respected among Chicago's citizens of German descent, and who could look back upon a long and most honorable political career, was born September 14, 1854, at Passow Pomerania, Germany. When he was fourteen years old he came to America with his parents. Their first home in the United States was at Oswego, New York. Here Albert found his first job in a woolen mill; three years later his knowledge of 2German and English enabled him to obtain employment with the publishers of a religious periodical, and here he acquired a thorough knowledge of the printing business. Later he became the manager of the publication.

He came to Chicago in 1876, and worked for ten years as a typesetter in large printing plants. In 1886 he and George Severinghaus established a small printing shop. Owing to his knowledge of the trade and his good management, their enterprise flourished, and soon their list of customers had greatly increased.

A short time after his arrival in Chicago Beilfuss joined the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and before long he became one of its prominent members. And in 1892 during the bitter fight caused by the so-called Edward's Bill, which was proposed to place all parochial schools under complete control of the officials of the State Board of Education, the Republicans nominated him for state representative, but he was defeated by forty votes. In 1896 he was elected to represent the Fifteenth Ward in the City Council and continued to serve in that capacity until the time of his death.

As a member of the City Council he not only furthered the interests of his Ward, but also promoted the welfare of the whole city. He was appointed to the most important committees and did everything within his power to bring about the most modern improvements for Chicago. His honesty and reliability were never questioned during his many years of public service.

Above all, attention is called to his accomplishments as a member and chairman of the Committee on Small Parks and Playgrounds. Most of these smaller places of recreation owe their existence to his efforts. When he was appointed to this Committee the annual appropriation for small parks and playgrounds was forty-one thousand dollars, and during his last years of service in this capacity the annual appropriations were about two hundred thousand dollars. He was also very active as a member of the Committee on Finances, and did excellent work while serving on the Committee on Railroad Elevation.

For many years Beilfuss was one of the leaders among the Lutherans of Chicago. He held several very important offices in his church, and was one of the 4founders of Concordia League (now Concordia Mutual Benefit Association), serving several terms as president of the League.

The City Council will hold a special meeting tomorrow to make preparations for the funeral. In the meantime Alderman Copitain, acting chairman of the Committee on Small Parks and Playgrounds, has ordered that all flags of small parks and playgrounds be lowered to half mast.

The deceased was a member of many German societies, among them the German Press Club of Chicago.