From Carl Jr.'s grandfather, written the day after the drowning
… Life is truly very uncertain. It must have been an awful shock to you, when you learned of Carl's death at Quincy. We received a telegram from May, at midnight last night, "Some one in Alexandria phoned that Carl drowned that afternoon. Bert is in Chicago but we are unable to locate him." I went to Hotel La Salle midnight last night, asking them to tell you to wake me, in case you were stopping there, but got no reply. …

Telegram from G.V. Patterson, family friend, to Carl Weis Sr., the day after the drowning
C.A. Weis,
On Board Illinois Central Train #1
Carbondale, Illinois
Everything loving friends can do is being done. Details all handled. Mrs. Weis holding up bravely.
G.V. Patterson

Telegram from Carl Sr.'s sister in law, sent from Illinois the day after the drowning
G.V. Patterson,
Alexandria, La.
Burt Weis wired us from Chicago he expected to be in Quincy Thursday. Gave no address. We are trying to locate him. Wire him direct at Chicago if you have his hotel address. Mr. Al Weis is in Philadelphia.
Mrs. A.W.D. Weis
The handwritten note below reads:
W.C. Oberlin
Atchisson Kans
Carl drowned while swimming with Class Mates late yesterday.
Mrs. C. A Weis

Telegram from Carl Jr.'s first cousin, sent to Agnes Weis from Indiana, same day of drowning. By this time, they had realized that Carl had already left Quincy for Chicago.
MRS C A WEIS
ALEXANDRIA LA
QUINCY PHONES BERT IN CHICAGO DO YOU KNOW WHAT HOTEL SALLY WANTS TO JOIN HIM STLOUIS ANSWER QUICK ACCEPT OUR SYMPATHY
VJ BLOW
1223A MAY 22

Telegram from G.V. Patterson, family friend to Carl Sr.'s sister in law.
Mrs. A.W.D. Weis,
Quincy, Illinois.
Mr. C.A. Weis located. Left Chicago this morning for Alexandria.
G.V. Patterson.

Telegram from Carl Sr.'s father to Agnes Weis the morning after the drowning
MRS C WEIS
ALEXANDRIA LA.
TELEGRAPH ME FULL PARTICULARS OF CARLS ACCIDENT AND WHETHER YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REACH BERT AT CHICAGO.
HENRY WEIS

Letter from May to Agnes and Bert, the day after the drowning
My Dear Agnes and Bert:
Oh, how I long to take you in my arms and try to comfort your hurt, there is only the One who can do that. May He help and sustain you in this sad time. Mr. Lanan and I were trying up to midnight to get some word to Bert finally had a friend of Mr. Lanan go to all the hotels to see if he could locate him but until we received your wire from Alexandria we did not know whether he had been reached or not.
Laura just called up over long distance, said they received our wire at midnight. We wired Frank and father both. Poor Laura could hardly talk. We tried to yet contact you over the phone last evening but in account of terrible storm all wires were down.

Telegram from Will D. Jenkins, family friend, to Agnes, notifying her that her husband is on his way from New Orleans, two days after the drowning
Mrs C A Wies
1816 Jackson Street Alexandria La.
Mr. Weis left twelve thirty noon today VIA Texas Pacific our love and sympathy are yours to the fullest.
137pm
Will D. Jenkins

Letter to Agnes from her father in law, Henry Weis, the day after the funeral
I have your letter relating to Carl's death and I fully appreciate your writing when it would have been heart wrenching for you to do so. It would seem that Carl did not drown, but that he died from heart trouble, but however that may be it is certainly an awful hard stroke for you, Bert, Mahlon and all the rest of us. I can hardly realize that it all can be true. Carl was looking so well when I was there last month. Did Carl ever complain of heart trouble? If so I don't remember of ever having heard of it. It is doubly sad for all of you that Bert and your mother were away from home and must have been terribly hard for you. From your letter I understand that Bert, your mother and sister were to reach there in time for the funeral and I think Frank also got there in time. I would have gone myself, but the sad news was too much for me. I was very nervous and did not consider it best for me to undertake the trip.

Letter from Florise Isaacs of Fort Worth, Texas, friend of Carl Jr.'s, one week after the drowning
My dear Mrs. Weis,

The only reason why I haven't written you before is that I simply could not. Even now it would be quite useless for me to try to put my sorrow into words. I can only sympathize with you and Mr. Weis over losing him. It was such a shock to me and I can only imagine how much more grieved you must be than I, although I never cared over anything as much as I have over Carl's death.

Carl and I saw a great deal of each other last summer, and after writing each other all winter, please let me say that I have never known but one or two other boys as nice, as sweet, and as interesting as Carl was. We had planned many good times together for this summer, and as yet I simply can't realize that I shall never, never see him again.

Is there anything I can do for you? I would be more than glad to do anything - I hope that when I come to Alexandria again, I shall get to see very much of you. Carl's devotion to you and Mr. Weis was beautiful - He was always saying something nice of "Mother" and of course I have always wanted to know you, but never so much as now.

Letter from John March, childhood friend of Carl Jr.'s, written from a Benedictine seminary, 1 week and one day after the drowning
My Dear Friends -
No doubt you have long ago forgotten me, but the memory of your dear son still lives within my soul. In reading of his untimely death, I was extremely grieved, and now wish to offer you a few words of condolence.
Carl and I were always good friends, and I knew him as I know myself. He was an exemplary boy: Obedient, faithful and kind! I could relate many incidents in which he showed great virtue and nobleness, but this would only grieve you more in considering the loss of such a son. He, John Price, and I spent many a happy day together and no doubt John, deeply regrets the loss of his friendship as I do. This recalls to me the days when we played so happily on your lawn, when we built block houses and the like, before your hearth, to amuse little Mahlon, when we played on the saw dust pile at his father's mill.
Altho we are separated by religious differences, if prayers for his departed soul can give him any comfort, they shall not be wanting. Extending my heartfelt consideration to you and family, I remain as ever -

Letter from C.S. Miller to C.A. Weis (Mr. Miller had also lost his son by an accidental shooting), written less than 2 weeks after Carl's death
"…The one consolation that appeals to us is that at the tender ages at which our sons were called they were spared the contaminates that mankind is subjected to in later years. Carl was a little older only than Dupree and while our recollection of him is that of his early childhood we feel assured that under the devoted guidance of his parents, he had developed into a credible type of young manhood and your dreams of a fine future for him doubtful existed and were well based."