Costs to defendants defending separately.

In all actions where there are several defendants not united in interest, and making separate defenses by separate answers, and the plaintiff fails to recover judgment against all, the court may award costs to such defendants as recover judgments in their favor, or either of them.

[Code 1881 § 511; 1877 p 109 § 515; 1869 p 124 § 463; 1854 p 202 § 373; RRS § 480.]