Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/244/200/
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 21:50:23+00:00

Document:
otherwise called to the trial court's attention and where the state supreme court, following the state statutes and established practice, declined to pass upon the claim because not presented to the trial court.
Writ of error to review 186 S.W. 688 dismissed.
Charles H. Small was killed at Kansas City while employed by plaintiff in error as a switchman. Relying upon a state statute, the guardian of his minor children sued for damages in the Jackson County Circuit Court and recovered a judgment which the Supreme Court of Missouri affirmed, May 15, 1916. We are asked to reverse that action because the Federal Employers' Liability Act was not applied, but rights and liabilities were determined according to state laws.
in the trial court, this Court cannot review such final judgment and hold that the state enactment was unconstitutional, or that the right or immunity so claimed had been denied by the highest court of the state, if that court did nothing more than decline to pass upon the federal question because not raised in the trial court, as required by the state practice. Spies v. Illinois, 123 U. S. 131, 123 U. S. 181; Miller v. Texas, 153 U. S. 535, 153 U. S. 538; Morrison v. Watson, 154 U. S. 111, 154 U. S. 115."
The original action was based upon a state statute; the answer did not set up or rely upon the federal act; the trial court's attention was not called thereto, and although urged to hold liability depended upon it, the supreme court declined to pass upon that point because not presented to the trial court. This ruling seems in entire accord with both state statutes and established practice. Rev.Stats.Mo. 1909, § 2081; St. Louis v. Flanagan, 129 Mo. 178; Freeland v. Williamson, 220 Mo. 217.
The writ must be dismissed.

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