SQLQuery q = session.createSQLQuery("select name from tbl_user");
q.setFirstResult(N);
q.setMaxResults(3);
System.out.println(q.list());

if q.setFirstResult(0); sql is

Hibernate:
select

• from
  ( select
  name
  from
  tbl_user )
  where
  rownum <= ?

result:
[null, 2, null]

no problem

if q.setFirstResult(1); sql is

Hibernate:
select

• from
  ( select
  row_.*,
  rownum rownum_
  from
  ( select
  name
  from
  tbl_user ) row_
  where
  rownum <= ?
  )
  where
  rownum_ > ?

result is object array:
[[Ljava.lang.Object;@1e6d4a8, [Ljava.lang.Object;@1938886, [Ljava.lang.Object;@e8259c]

solution
q.addScalar("name", StringType.INSTANCE);