No. of Recommendations: 2
Guillotine would probably be the most certain. I don't think that can be botched.
Sure they can! From Gemini:
How Botches Happen:
• Dull or Notched Blades: During periods of high-volume executions (such as during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror), blades frequently grew dull or became notched from repeatedly striking bone, requiring multiple drops or manual finishing.
• Mechanical Jamming: Dried blood, friction on the wooden or metal runners, or damp weather could cause the heavy blade to slow down, jam, or stick midway before fully cleaving the neck.
• Incorrect Restraint: If a condemned person shifted or was improperly secured in the pillory (lunette), the angle of the drop could result in an incomplete cut or crushing force rather than a clean severing.
Historical Examples:
• Joseph Chalier (1793): During the French Revolution, the revolutionary leader's execution was severely botched because the dull blade failed to sever his neck on the first drop, necessitating multiple attempts and manual intervention by the executioner.
• Pierre-François Lacenaire (1836): Historical accounts note that damp weather caused the apparatus to jam or stick during his execution, complicating the process.
