The Habsburgs' Anti-Protestant policy annoyed George who was a leader of the Hungarian Protestants. He urged Gabriel Bethlen to intervene in the conflict on behalf of the Bohemian rebels. He also started to hire Hajdú troops in summer 1619. To prevent Rákóczi and Bethlen's cooperation, András Dóczy, the commander of the royal troops in Upper Hungary, offered Rákóczi's estates to Bethlen on the king's behalf. Instead of accepting Dóczy's offer, Bethlen informed Rákóczi that he had decided to invade Royal Hungary. To facilitate Bethlen's invasion, Rákóczi tried to capture Drugeth, but he could not prevent him from fleeing to Poland. Then Rákóczi marched to Kassa and persuaded the predominantly Evangelical (or Lutheran) burghers to surrender on 5 September. A day later, his Hajdú troops tortured and murdered three Jesuit priests, Melchior Grodziecki, Marko Krizin and István Pongrácz.