This may go against the concensus (pun intended), but my gut says it is what it appears to be. A census taker got too inquizative with his questions and some KY hill william took offense. They have been known to do that. “you’ll never get out of Harlen alive”
Maybe it wasn't the census taker but the census questions themselves that were too inquisitive. (Maybe Acorn should be blamed for this death)