CHAPTER ELEVENWeatherly ran the jail saga as a full-page op-ed piece opposite the editorial page. The story created quite a stir, both within the newsroom and in the community at large. Several older reporters were professionally appalled by the first-person gonzo journalism and personally offended by a cub reporter getting so much prestigious ink. Of course, all they said to Jesse was, “Nice story.”
The story was a scoop in every sense of the word. First of all, the paper published it before the other newspaper in town, or any radio or television news sources. Secondly, the living conditions—no phones, clocks, newspapers, radio, or television, private toilets, and sleeping on the floor—genuinely surprised readers. All that, combined with the lack of jail staff, made people realize there
