Why did Exley give a newspaper to Jones, out of all the suspects, before interrogating him?

Question

Using the information provided by Leonard in exchange for reducing his brother’s sentence in L.A Confidential (1997), Jack and Exley visited the location of the Night Owl suspects and arrested all three of them. They were brought into custody for investigation. Exley interrogated each of the three suspects separately. Before interrogating the third suspect, who was named Jones, he gave him a newspaper to read:

Exley: Give Jones the newspaper. I want him primed.

Dudley: Take the cuffs off, so he can read it.

Why did Exley give a newspaper to Jones, out of all the suspects, before interrogating him?

Answer 1

The other suspect was obviously ready to break, he'd been crying and had urinated on himself.

Jones however appeared quite stoic and so Exley has him given the newspaper so that he can be aware of the seriousness of what he is accused of to soften him up for interrogation.

Of course, as it turns out...

These suspects had nothing to do with the Nite Owl as they were committing another crime elsewhere at the time.