"P.230 Other members of the Victor militia corroborated Cole's story.Also, a sergeant in the Cripple Creek militia testified that he saw a murder committed by two Mine Owners' Association gunmen to keep someone quiet about the Independence depot explosion.p.231 There was additional testimony that the mine owners had plotted the Independence depot explosion, but had not intended to take lives.p.231 A couple of individuals stated, in effect, that a change of the work shift had put the non-union workers onto the depot platform at the wrong time.p.229-232

The number of deaths as a result of the Colorado labor war were 2 strikers and at least 17 strikebreakers and non-union men.