The execution device once dubbed the “National Razor” of France was inspired by the Halifax Guibbet in England and the Scottish Maiden in the 1500s. It was actually considered humane because it was a relatively quick form of capital punishment without enduring torture. https://www.history.com/news/8-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-guillotine
Public beheadings continued in France until 1939, weren’t completely outlawed until 1981, and are still routine in Saudi Arabia.
Teaching History's Slender Threads, Including 'What Ifs', Almosts, Alternatives and Turning Points 