I do believe that public executions as practiced by the 1890s were still dignified-- people gathered to witness, sang hymns and watched the condemned get a hood over their heads before the trap door was sprung.
If you could keep this dignified method, I believe they would even have a place today. But between the extremes of those who don't think it should be done to anyone for any reason and those who get their jollies looking at the unhooded spectacle which you describe, I don't see how we could bring it back the way we should.