He might be a little confused. There is a possibility he wasn’t hung up on a cross the way we depict, but a more simple post instead. The cross we’re all familiar with might just be another ripoff of pagan symbols, “x” and “+” have always held some significance in religions.

I can also believe that a government that conducts executions would cheap out and use a simple post rather than the effort and carpentry needed to make a cross. Why bother with the “+”.

Can’t find anything definitve, of course religious sites are heavily vested in maintaining the cross as a symbol and history has been clouded with their efforts.