In 1909 Hann shocked people in Perth by a report saying that he had an encounter with Wongi warriors north of Laverton, and regretted not shooting one as he wanted to get a skull for Fred Brockman to send to London. When outrage followed, he retracted his statement and later the authorities stated that he was just exaggerating, but was also no longer was in the employ of the Surveyor General. Brockman subsequently wrote that Hann did get him a skull but it was from a person who had died four years earlier.