I've been trying, without success, to locate a photo of the now-probably missing Ed Coughlin. I was concerned at first that possibly everything known about him was a mystery, after reading
David Nemec's blurb on Coughlin in
The Rank and File of 19th Century Major League Baseball, where he says that Peter Morris believed his lone MLB game for Buffalo on May 15, 1884 actually belonged to a "Chester, PA amateur." This is backed up by the
Buffalo Express' write up of the game, which says Coughlin was from Chester.
However, the
Philadelphia Times' account does say Coughlin was an "amateur from Hartford." Also
Edward E. Coughlin's 1952 obit does say he played in the National League, though the line about Connie Mack appears to be a bit off. Coughlin apparently played for Buffalo of the NL, Youngstown of the Iron and Oil Association, and Hartford in the Connecticut State League in 1884, while Mack played for Meriden. Mack played for Hartford the next year, but Coughlin doesn't appear anywhere on Baseball-Reference for 1885.
Interestingly, the
May 15 edition of the Hartford Courant mentions that "Michael O'Neil and Edward Coughlin of this city are to catch and pitch for the Youngstown (Ohio) base ball club this season." While that is true according to his record, its odd that it was published the day of his lone major league game for Buffalo, if these two players are indeed one in the same.