Echoes from the Past: Restoring history’s missing pages

December 11, 2025

A torn document with missing information led to the story of Grace Bernice Day, who was sent to San Quentin after splashing acid in her husband's face. In the background is an early photo of San Quentin, courtesy of the Anne T. Kent California Room of the Marin Public Library.

While researching stories for the Unlocking History series, we often find damaged documents, missing photos, or incomplete information.

One example is a 1920s California prison register sent to various sheriff’s offices across the state. Over the last century, many of these were damaged. Despite this, they often provide an interesting look into the past, including the tale of a young bride who threw acid on her husband.

Damaged documents, faded photos, missing names

Damaged documents and faded photo of Grace Bernice Day sparked a quest into discovering her identity. — *Damaged documents, such as this one, present puzzles.*

A torn page, one of many damaged documents with missing information, and faded photo sparked questions: Who was this person and why was she incarcerated?

The first name appears to be Grace, but the rest of her name is lost. Her number is also no longer legible on the photograph.

Details we can see are as follows:

She was 21, a housewife, born in Illinois and received Aug. 14, 1926, from Los Angeles County.
Her crime is listed as “assault with … chemical.” Some of the sentence is missing due to the tear in the document.

Armed with a time frame, first name, charge, and county of sentencing, we got to digging.

After some research, we found a match.

Grace Bernice Day was convicted of disfiguring her husband by splashing him with acid. The official charge was “assault with caustic chemical.” Day was sentenced to serve one-to-14 years in San Quentin.

Crime, trial topped news for weeks

According to news accounts published at the time, on Feb. 23, 1925, Day threw nitric acid at her husband’s face. Her actions earned her the moniker the “acid bride” in the press. She was 20 years old at the time of the attack.

Grace Bernice Day photo and her record from 1926. — *Grace Bernice Day, 42555, received Aug. 14, 1926.*

The crime and trial made headlines across the country. Her husband was the son of a wealthy Chicago businessman and millionaire.

When she was arrested, her original bail amount was set at $5,000 but was increased to $10,000 by the judge a month later. It’s the equivalent of about $180,000 in 2025.

Weaving together her story

1920s newspaper article of Darby Day Jr. and Bernice Day. — *Darby Day, Jr., above (before acid attack) and Bernice Day in a 1925 newspaper article.*

Grace married Darby Day in 1924 in Chicago, where his father set them up with an apartment as well as a honeymoon trip to Havana and New Orleans. After the trip, the couple purchased a home on Alpine Drive in Beverly Hills. The groom’s mother also moved in with the newlyweds.

A few months later, their marriage began to sour and Grace Bernice Day requested her own place to live, away from her husband and his meddling mother.

The bickering and arguing continued, with Grace eventually leaving.

She returned a few days later, armed with a bottle of acid hidden inside her coat, according to news reports. At the door, her mother-in-law wouldn’t allow her to see her son. After some smoothing over, the Day matriarch agreed to send her son outside to speak with his bride.

He came to the door and the pair walked toward his automobile, while the mother watched from the window. She then saw another vehicle approach and pause near the couple. The mother recognized the driver as Grace’s sister. While the headlights illuminated the scene, Grace splashed the acid and then quickly jumped into the waiting vehicle.

According to reports, the young woman blamed “too much mother-in-law” for her marital problems.

Defense: Mental capacity of young teen

The defense claimed Bernice had the mental capacity of a 14-year-old child and was therefore incapable of understanding the consequences of her actions. The prosecution argued even with the maturity level of a typical 14-year-old, she understood the consequences.

Her arrest, release on bond, and the trial were in the news for months across the country.

Found guilty, she appealed, and the case was sent to the state Supreme Court in 1926. There, her conviction was upheld, sending her to San Quentin to serve one-to-14 years.

Claims of innocence

Throughout her trial, she said she was threatening to commit suicide at the time of the acid attack. To convince her husband of her intentions, she said she was trying to show her husband the acid. While uncorking the bottle, she claimed, it splashed up into his face and onto her hands causing severe burns to both. No one bought her story.

Victim advocates for release

Her ex-husband, Darby Day, Jr., petitioned for her parole and release from prison.

“Grace Bernice Day, acid-throwing ex-bride of the Hollywood millionaire, Darby Day, Jr., will know (soon) whether the efforts to liberate her from the penitentiary will bear fruit,” reported the Petaluma Argus Courier, Aug. 25, 1927. “Although her wealthy husband has divorced her since she entered (prison), it is well known he has been (advocating to) have her sentence reduced.”

In late September 1927, the Board of Prison Directors made their decision.

“(The board) fixed the maximum sentence at four years and ordered her (to be) released in the custody of her mother, Grace B. Lundstrom, and an uncle, Dr. M.D. Gerhard,” reported the San Francisco Examiner, Oct. 2, 1927. “(She) has been a model prisoner. (Her ex-husband) has worked untiringly to obtain her release.”

Darby Day Jr., while undergoing surgery at a hospital, died on the operating table Feb. 4, 1928, at the age of 24. According to the autopsy, his cause of death was found to be “heart shock” while under anesthesia.

She was discharged from parole supervision in August 1929.

Story by Don Chaddock, Inside CDCR editor

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